Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1887-11-17
SALVATION ON oorDIT1oYs

[s It Consistent for all Hen to be
Saved Who VIII Accept
Christi
First. mThe atonement Of Christ
makes it consistent for God to offer
to all men.
Second. ssThe atonement of
Christ makes it consistent for all
men to be saved who will accept
that offer"
DR.. Wells, in his Wednesday
evening sermon, discussed the gos-
pei offer under the above captions,
which he denominated first and sec
ond. These are clean-cut and neat
ly turned propositions, and from
our standpoint we admit their cor
rectness. But how do they tally
with the decree of God on which
the Doctor and his church have SO
solidly planted themselves On
page 27, Confession of Faith, ''the
following occurs:
(3.) "By the decree of God for
the manifestation of his glory,
some men and angels are predes-
tinated unto everlasting life, and
others foreordained to everlasting
death. -
(4) "These angels and men,
thus predestinated and foreordain-
ed, are particularly and unchang-
ably designed; and their number is
SO certain and definite that it can
not be either increased or dimin-
ished.n
CO. "Those of mankind that
are predestinated unto life, God,
before the foundation of the world
was laid, according to his eternal
and immutable purpose, and the
secret counsel and good pleasure of
His will, hath chosen in ChristaA--
to everlasting glory, out of his mere
free grace and love without any
foresight of faith, or good works,
or perseverance in either of them,
or any other thing in the creature,
as conditions or causes moving him
thereunto; and all to the praise of
his glorious grace
Here the number is definitely
settled; can neither be increased
nor diminished, and is of free
grace without any conditions. DIR.
Wells says it is consistent for all
men to be saved who will accept
Christ. In other words the Doctor
breaches salvation on conditions
to-wit-acceptance of Christ. This
acceptance, of course, must be an
act on the part of the sinner. He
must do this and when he does il
nthe atonement of Christ makes ii
consistent, y the Doctor says, ''for
all men to be saved" DIR. Wells
breaches salvation on condition
that the sinner accept Christ, and
4
the Confession of Faith says it
lis unconditional. On this point
we side with DIR. Wells; but as it
leaves the Doctor at issue with the
Confession of Faith, |" it might be
well enough for him to rise and ex-
plain. The Doctor also teaches
that none of the elect are among the
heathen because they are already
lost by Adams fall, and that it is
not cruel in God to damn them,
but the cruelty is with Christians
(of course the Doctor means the
elect) in not sending the gospel to
the heathen. If the elect have the
means to send the gospel to the
heathen and don't do it, why will
they not be held accountable and
in justice punished for it?
But the Doctor says the punish
ment of the heather will be ligh,
compared with those cast under the
light of the gospel. IF that be true
then the whole population had bet.
ter join the heather. Verify, or.
thodoxy has we'll nigh. blotted out
the faith. Then, according to DIR,
Wells, the heathen will only 60 te
hell for a short time, while the
wicked under the gospel will stay
longer. Yet the Doctor says al
are lost. The confession says the
elect are not lost. Then it follows
that there are no elect among the
heathen.. IF election is uncondi.
tional how does it happen that il
never struck the heather? The
heathen is surely unconditional
enough to be chosen. Then why
was the heathen not chosen as vel
as the man who has the bible? But
don't it look like the bible had
something to do with the election'
and if so, then DR.. Wells is righ1
when he asks sinners to accep'
Christ. To accept Christ they mus
hear and believe in him; trust il
him. "But how can they believs
in him of whom they have no
heard" said Paul, and how car
they hear without a preacher. Sc
then faith comes by hearing thu
word of God. Then it follows
that the heathen must hear thu
word of God. Hence DIR. Wells
church sends missionaries to preach
to the heathen. That is right, al.
though it can't increase the mum,
Der of the elect. 1t certainly car
add nothing to those electee
to be damned except, as ths
| Doctor saws. ii NAV increase thf